Rotary machine and method for drying clothes and the like

ABSTRACT

AN IMPROVED MACHINE AND METHOD FOR DRYING CLOTHES AND THE LIKE, WHEREIN THE CLOTHES TO BE DRIED ARE ROTATED AT A RELATIVELY HIGH SPEED IN A ROTATING CHAMBER SO THAT THE CLOTHES FORM AND MAINTAIN AN ANNULAR LAYER ABOUT THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE CHAMBER. NOVEL FAN BLADE AND PLENUM CHAMBER ASSEMBLIES ARE MOUNTED ON THE ROTATING CHAMBER AND ARE UTILIZED TO CONTINUOUSLY FORCE AIR, UNDER PRESSURE, INTO THE ROATING CHAMBER AND THUS INTO THE ANNULAR LAYER OF CLOTHES SO AS TO &#34;FLUIDIZE&#34; OR &#34;FLUFF&#34; THE CLOTHES IN THE ANNULAR LAYER. AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE AIR EXHAUSTED FROM THE CHAMBER IS REINTRODUCED OF RECIRCULATED BACK INTO THE CHAMBER.   PERIODICALLY, THE ROTATIONAL SPEED OF THE CHAMBER IS ABRUPTLY REDUCED FROM THE HIGH SPEED TO AN INTERMEDIATE SPEED BELOW THAT NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THE ANNULAR LAYER OF CLOTHES WHEREBY THE CLOTHES IN THE CHAMBER ARE TUMBLED, FLUFFED AND REARRANGED IN THE CHAMBER. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER A SPEED REDUCTION, THE SPEED OF THE CHAMBER IS AGAIN INCREASED TO THE HIGH SPEED SO THAT THE ANNULAR LAYER OF CLOTHES IS REFORMED.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 D. E. MARSHALL ROTARY MACHINE AND METHOD FOR DRYINGCLOTHES AND THE LIKE Filed April 5, 1969 June 8, 1971 INVIL'N'I'UR, D0 E4/ 2 /444 BY dffO/QWEV FIE! June 8, 1971 D. E. MARSHALL ROTARY MACHINEAND METHOD FOR DRYING CLOTHES AND THE LIKE Filed April 3, 1969 2Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V1 N l ()R 1% Mes/m4 BY United States Patent Oifice3,583,076 ROTARY MACHINE AND METHOD FOR DRYING CLOTHES AND THE LIKEDonald E. Marshall, 4904 Sunnyside Road, Minneapolis, Minn. 55424 FiledApr. 3, 1969, Ser. No. 813,055 Int. Cl. F26b 5/08 US. Cl. 34-8 17 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved machine and method for dryingclothes and the like, wherein the clothes to be dried are rotated at arelatively high speed in a rotating chamber so that the clothes form andmaintain an annular layer about the axis of rotation of the chamber.Novel fan blade and plenum chamber assemblies are mounted on therotating chamber and are utilized to continuously force air, underpressure, into the rotating chamber and thus into the annular layer ofclothes so as to fluidize or fluff the clothes in the annular layer. Atleast a portion of the air exhausted from the chamber is reintroduced orrecirculated back into the chamber.

Periodically, the rotational speed of the chamber is abruptly reducedfrom the high speed to an intermediate speed below that necessary tomaintain the annular layer of clothes whereby the clothes in the chamberare tumbled, fiuffed and rearranged in the chamber. Almost immediatelyafter a speed reduction, the speed of the chamber is again increased tothe high speed so that the annular layer of clothes is reformed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improvedmachine and method for drying clothes and the like, and moreparticularly to an improved clothes drying machine and method whichenables the drying operation to be completed relatively quickly andwhich minimizes wrinkling of the clothes during the drying operation.

Generally, the presently available machines for drying clothes and thelike comprise a rotatable, perforated chamber in which the clothes to bedried are placed. The chamber is rotated at a relatively low speed sothat the clothes therein are continuously tumbled. An air manifold or asimilar structure is positioned adjacent to the side of the chamber andis utilized to force heated air into the chamber and across the clothestherein. After passing across the clothes, the air is exhausted from therotating chamber and then from the machine. While these presentlyavailable machines generally perform satisfactorily, it takes arelatively long period of time to complete the drying operation.Moreover, if relatively high temperature air is utilized in the machineto attempt to reduce the time required for the drying operation, theclothes may become wrinkled because of the heat.

Also in the past, washing machines having a so-called spin dry cycle andcommercial water extraction machines have been used to reduce themoisture content of wet clothes. In these machines, the clothes arerotated at a high speed in a chamber having a perforated side wall sothat a large portion of the water in the clothes is forced out of theclothes and chamber by centrifugal force. However, in these machines,the clothes become pressed or plastered against the side wall of thechamber and are not completely dried. In fact, after the spin dry cycleor the extracting cycle has been completed, further drying, such as in aconventional drying machine, is required before the clothes areconsidered to be dry within the normal meaning of the word.

3,583,076 Patented June 8, 1971 SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE In contrast tothe foregoing, the improved machine and method of the present inventionpermits clothes and the like to be dried relatively quickly and withoutexcessive wrinkling of the clothes because of the use of excessive heat.This is achieved by rotating the clothes in a chamber at a high speedsufiicient to cause the clothes to form and maintain an annular layerabout the axis of rotation of the chamber. A relatively large volume ofpressurized air is forced into the chamber during rotation thereof so asto fluidize or fluff the clothes in the annular layer. The air is thenexhausted from the chamber and at least a portion of the air isreintroduced or recirculated back into the chamber and thus into andthrough the annular layer of clothes. As a result of the formation ofthe annular layer, a much greater surface area of the clothes is exposedto the air flow and this plus the continual passage of the large volumeof air over and through the clothes causes thorough and relatively quickdrying of the clothes. Although the air introduced into the chamber maybe, and is frequently, heated, the temperature of the air need not beparticularly high, and certainly not high enough to cause excessivewrinkling, since the drying is primarily caused by rapid and continualflow of air through and over the clothes. To assure complete drying ofthe clothes in the shortest possible time, the speed of the chamber isperiodically, abruptly reduced to an intermediate speed below thatnecessary to maintain the annular layer of clothes in the rotatingchamber. Thus, while the chamber is rotating at this intermediate speed,the clothes therein are tumbled and thus rearranged and further flulfed,both by the tumbling and by the air being introduced into the chamber.Almost immediately after the speed reduction, the chamber is returned tothe high speed so that the clothes are reformed into the annular layer.

More specifically, the air is introduced into the cylindrical chamberthrough a plurality of holes formed in the end walls of the chamber, theholes being equispaced about the periphery of the chamber and adjacentto but spaced radially inwardly from the side Wall of the charm be'r.Novel fan and plenum chamber assemblies are mounted on the exteriorfaces of the end walls of the chamber and are utilized to force air intothe rotating chamber through the holes. A central aperture is formed inthe top end wall and is used to exhaust air from the rotating chamber.An air filter is positioned adjacent to the aperture and is used tofilter the air exhausted from the chamber so that at least a portion ofthis air can be recirculated and reintroduced back into the chamber bythe fan and plenum chamber assemblies.

The central aperture formed in the top, end wall of the machine is alsoused for loading and unloading clothes to and from the chamber. Theradius of the aperture is approximately equal to one-half the radius ofthe end wall, and the size of the aperture facilitates loading andunloading of the clothes. In addition, the loading and unloading of themachine from the top eliminates the disadvantages of present sideloading driers in that the user does not have to bend over to put thedamp clothes in the machine. Also, a larger quantity of clothes may beloaded into the machine of the present invention, as compared to sideloading machines, since the clothes cannot fall out of the machinethrough the opening as may happen in overloading side loading machines.

Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide animproved machine and method for drying clothes and the like wherein theclothes can be dried relatively quickly and wrinkle free, as compared topreently available clothes drying machines.

Another object'of the present invention is to provide animproved"machine and method 'of the type described wherein the clothesare rotated in a chamber at a relatively high speed so thaththe clothesform and maintain an annular layer about the axis of rotation of thechamber; wherein air underpressure is continuously introduced into thechamber and thus into the annular layer so as to fluidize or fluff theclothes in the annular layer; and wherein periodically, abruptly therotational speed of the chamber is reduced from the high speed to anintermediatev speed below that necessary to maintain the annular layerso that the clothes are tumbled and thus rearranged and further fluffedin the rotating chamber. A related object of the present invention is toprovide an improvedmachine and method of the type described wherein thespeed of the rotating chamber is increased again to the high speed fromthe intermediate speed, alrnost immediately after a speed reduction, sothat the annular layer of clothes is reformed.

v Stillanother object of the present invention is to provide an improvedmachine and method of the type described wherein the air is introducedinto the rotating, cylindrical chamber through a plurality of holesformed in the end walls of the chamber, the holes being equispaced aboutthe chamber and adjacent to, but spaced radially inwardly from, the sidewall of the chamber; and wherein novel fan and plenum chamber assembliesare mounted on the exterior faces of the end walls of the chamber andutilized to force the air under pressure through the holes and into theannular layer of clothes. A related object of the invention is toprovide an improved machine and method of the type described wherein acentral aperture is formed in one of the end walls of the rotatingchamber through which air in the chamber may be exhausted; wherein thesize of the aperture is large, relative to the size of the one end wall,so as to facilitate loading and unloading clothes to and from thechamber; and wherein a filter means is positioned adjacent to theaperture to filter exhausted air from the chamber so that the air may bereintroduced and recirculated back into the chamber by the fan andplenum chamber assemblies.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedmachine and method of the type described wherein the rotating chamber ispositioned in a closed compartment so as to assure that at least aportion of the air exhausted from the rotating chamber is recirculatedand reintroduced back into the chamber; wherein fresh air is introducedinto the compartment and moisture saturated air is exhausted from thecompartment during the drying operation; and wherein an air heatingmeans is utilized to selectively heat the fresh air introduced into thecompartment.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparentfrom the accompanying specification, claims and drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view ofan improved machine embodying the principles of the present invention.

, FIG. 2 is a partial, vertical cross-sectional view taken along lines22 in FIG. 1.

, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a fan and plenum chamber utilized inthe machine shown in FIG. 1.

.FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along lines 4--4 inFIG. 1 and showing the clothes in the rotating chamber formed in anannular layer about the axis of rotation of the chamber.

FIG. 5 is a partial, vertical cross-sectional view of the rotatingchamber used in the improved machine of the present invention and showsthe clothes in the rotating chamber being tumbled in the chamber duringa period in which the chamber is rotating at an intermediate speed.

. 4 Y I DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED n EMBODIMENT An improved machineembodying the principles of the present invention is shown generally at11. The machine 11 includes a sheet metal cabinet 12 which includes afront wall 13, a top wall 14, a rear wall 15, a bottom wall 16, sidewalls, not shown, and a wall 17 which divides the interior of thecabinet into an upper compartment 18 and a lower compartment 19. Theupper compartment 18 is constructed so as to prevent the leakage of gasfrom the interior thereof during the operation of the machine.

An aperture 21 is formed in the central portion of the top wall 14. Atube 22 is secured within the aperture 21 so that the tube projectsdownwardly from the top wall 14 or, in other words, so that the lowerend 23 of the tube 22 extends within the interior of the uppercompartment 18. The lower portion of the tube 22, i.e., the portionthereof positioned within the compartment 14, is perforated so that airmay pass from the interior of the tube into the interior of thecompartment. A conventional, annular air filter 24 is positioned withinthe tube '22 and is designed to permit gas to pass radially, withrespect to the central longitudinal axis of the tube, through thefilter. The air filter 24 is utilized to filter and remove any lint,dust or like materials entrained in the exhausted air. A removable cover'25 tightly closes the upper end of the tube 22 so as to prevent leakageof air from the tube to the exterior of the compartment 18.

An exhaust conduit 26 is mounted on the top wall 14, and is incommunication with the interior of the com partment 18 so as to permit aportion of the air in the upper compartment to be exhausted therefrom.

A generally cylindrical, rotatable, clothes receiving chamber 28 ismounted within the interior of the compartment 18 on the flanged end 29of a rotatable shaft 31. The chamber 28 is arranged and positionedwithin the compartment so that the central longitudinal axis of thechamber 28, shaft 31 and the tube 22 are coaxial and are substantiallyvertical. The shaft 31 projects into the compartment 18 through anaperture 32 formed in the wall 17. Conventional shaft bearings 33 and aconventional shaft seal 34 are mounted in the aperture 32 about theshaft 31.

The dimensions of the interior of the compartment 18 are such that whenthe chamber 28 is 'positioned within the compartment, as shown in FIG.1, there is ample clearance between the chamber and the walls definingthe compartment 18 whereby the chamber 28 may be rotated within thecompartment at'relatively high speeds without danger of contact betweenthe rotating chamber and the walls of the compartment 18.

In the lower compartment 19, a pair of sheaves or pulleys 35 are mountedon the lower end 36 of shaft 31 adjacent to the bearings 33. The sheaves35 are adapted to be driven by the V-belts 37. Also in the compartment19, a conventional two-speed electric motor 38 is mounted on a motorsupport 39, which in turn, is secured to the wall 16. The motor 38 is ofthe type which will permit the polarity of its windings to be reversedby changing the connections of the motor windings so that when theconnections are reversed, the motor will act as a brake.

A pair of sheaves or pulleys 41 are mounted on an output shaft 42 of themotor 38. These sheaves 41 receive the V-belts 37 so that the motor 38is connected with and selectively drives or brakes the shaft 31, andthus, the chamber 28.

A conventional air or gas blower 43 is connected with and is also drivenby the motor 38. As shown in FIG. 1, the inlet 44 of the blower 43communicates directly with the atmosphere, although, of course, theinlet 44 could be connected with other sources of gas or air. The outlet45 of the blower 43 is connected by a conduit 46 with the exterior ofthe compartment 18. More particularly, the conduit 46 extends from theoutlet 45 of the blower 43 1 an inlet 47 formed in the wall 17.

A conventional air heating unit, shown schematically at 48, ispositioned adjacent the inlet 47. The function of the unit 48 is to heatthe air being introduced into the compartment 18 from the blower 43 sothat the heated air may be used during, at least a portion of, the cycleof operation of the machine 11 to facilitate the drying of the clothesin the chamber 28.

Referring again to the chamber 28, this chamber includes generallycircular upper and lower end walls 49 and 51 and a continuous, annularside wall 52. An aperture 53 is formed in the upper end wall 49, withthe radius of the aperture 53 being approximately equal to one-half theradius of the top end wall 49 and being substantially equal to theradius of the tube 22. The chamber 28 is positioned within thecompartment 18 so that the center of the aperture 53 is aligned with thecentral longitudinal axis of the tube 22, and thus, with the centrallongitudinal axis of the chamber 28. The open, lower end 23 of the tube22 and the peripheral edge 54 of the aperture 53 may be formed, asshown, so that a conventional running air or gas seal 55 is providedtherebetween. This arrangement of the tube and aperture 53 permits airto flow freely from the interior of the chamber 28 to the interior ofthe tube 22. Moreover, as noted above, air may pass from the interior ofthe tube 22, through the filter 24, through the perforations in the tube22 and into the interior of the compartment 18.

A plurality of relatively small diameter holes 56 are drilled in theupper and lower end Walls 49 and 51 of the chamber 28 adjacent to, butspaced radially inwardly from, the side wall 52. The holes 56 areequispaced about a circle having as its center, the central longitudinalaxis of the chamber. The holes are arranged with respect to the sidewall 52 so that when the air under pressure is introduced into thechamber 28 through the holes, as hereinafter described, the clothes inthe chamber 28 are fluidized or flulfed during the time the clothes arebeing maintained in an annular layer about the central axis of thechamber as a result of the high speed rotation of the chamber.

A unique fan-plenum chamber assembly 57 is utilized to force air, underpressure, into the interior of the chamber 28 through the holes 56. Thisassembly 57, shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3, consists of a plurality ofcurved fan blades 58 and plenum chambers 59 which are mounted on theexterior faces 61 of both the upper and lower end walls 49 and 51.

As shown in FIG. 2, the plenum chambers 59 are wider at their radialouter ends 62, i.e., their ends adjacent to the periphery of the endwalls, than at their radial inner ends 63, i.e., their ends adjacent tothe central Iongitudinal axis of the chamber 28 or the center of the endwalls. The longitudinal center lines of the chambers 59 are disposed atan acute angle, e.g., 2030, with respect to a radius of the end walls,with the inner ends 63 of each chamber 59 leading the outer ends 62thereof in the direction of rotation of the chamber 28, this directionof rotation being indicated by the arrow 64 in FIG. 2.

All fan blades and plenum chamber assemblies 57 are structurally similarand functionally identical, although as shown in FIG. 1, the assembliesmounted on the wall 49 are smaller in dimension and thus in capacitythan the assemblies mounted on the wall 51. For this reason, only oneassembly 57, shown in FIG. 3, has been described in detail herein. Asbest shown in FIG. 3, the plenum chamber 59 includes a top panel 65spaced from and parallel with the exterior face 61 of the end wall 49 ofthe chamber 28. The outer radial portion 66 of the top panel 65 overliesand is congruent with the outer peripheral arc of the end wall 49 sothat this outer portion 66 of the top panel overlies a number of theholes 56. While in FIG. 3 the portion 66 is shown overlying or coveringthree holes 56, the specific number of holes covered by the portion 66is not critical so long as proper fluidization or fiufiing of theclothes is obtained in chamber 28.

A pair of side panels 67 extend between the exterior face 61 and theside edges of the top panel 65. As shown in FIG. 2, the side panels 67converge together at their radial inner ends, i.e., the inner ends ofthe side panels are spaced closer together than the outer ends thereof,so that each chamber 59 has a generally frusto-conical shape. An innerend panel 68 extends between the radial inner ends of the side panels 66and the face 61 of the end wall 49. An opening 69 is defined in the topof the chamber 59 between the radial inner end 71 of the top panel 65,the inner end panel 68- and the side panels 66. However, the radialouter end of the chamber 59, except, of course, for the holes 56enclosed within the chamber 59, is completely closed by the top panel65, including the portion 66, and the side panels 67.

The curved fan blade 58 projects beyond the plane of the top panel 65,is integrally formed as a part of the trailing side panel 66, relativeto the direction of rotation of the chamber 28, and extends along the:side of the opening 69. The axial height of the blades 58, relative tothe chamber 59, is determined by the air capacity or volume of flowdesired.

The fan blades 58 are utilized, during rotation of the chamber 28, toforcibly direct the air in the compartment 18 into the plenum chambers59 and hence, under pressure, through the holes 56 into the chamber 28.The design of the plenum chambers 59, including the angular dispositionof the plenum chambers relative to a radius of the end wall 49, assistsin forcing air through the plenum chambers 59 and into the chamber 28during rotation of the chamber in a manner similar to that of aconventional centrifugal blower or fan.

The operation of the motor 38 and heating unit 48 is controlled by aconventional timing mechanism 72. The timing mechanism 72 employs anelectric motor which sequentially operates a plurality of switches in apreselected sequence. Such timing mechanisms are old and well known inthe art and for this reason, further description thereof has not beenincluded herein.

DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION The clothes which are to be dried in machine 11are introduced into the machine by removing the door 25 and placing theclothes manually into the chamber 28 through the tube 22. Generally,these clothes would be placed into the machine after being washed and/orspin dried in a conventional washing machine and as such, would besomewhat wet, but not saturated with water.

The rotational speed of the chamber 28 is selected so that duringrelatively high-speed rotation of the chamber, the clothes in thechamber will form and maintain a generally annular layer adjacent to theside wall 52 of the chamber 28, as shown in FIG. 4. Moreover, because ofthe fan blade and plenum chamber assemblies 57 mounted on the end walls49 and 51 of the chamber, the air in the interior of the compartment 18is forced through the holes 56 formed in the end walls 49 and 51. Thenumber and size of the fans 58 and plenum chambers 59 are correlatedwith the rotational speed of the chamber so that the gas being forcedinto the rotating chamber through the holes 56 is sufiicient to form acompletely fluidized or fiulfed layer of clothes and air. In thisannular fluidized or fluffed layer, the clothes are continuouslyagitated as the air passes into and through the layer. After passingthrough the layer, air is exhausted from the chamber 28 through theaperture 53. A portion of the exhausted air is then removed from themachine 11 through conduit 26, while the remainder of the air isrecirculated back into the interior of the compartment 18 through thefilter 24. This recirculated air is then reintroduced into the chamber28.

To facilitate the drying of the clothes, the air introduced into thecompartment 18 may be heated by the heating unit 48. However, the unit48 is set so as to control the maximum temperature of the air and this,plus the rapid and continual recirculation of a large volume of 'air,assures that the clothes will not be wrinkled or damaged by exposure tothe heated air.

Periodically, the timing mechanism 72 causes the windings of the motor38 to be reversed so that the motor abruptly brakes the chamber 28, thuscausing the speed of the chamber 28 to be reduced from the relativelyhigh speed at which the clothes therein form and maintain a generallyannular layer to the intermediate speed for which the two-speed motor 38is set. This intermediate speed may just be five or ten percent lessthan the relatively high speed, but must be low enough so that thegravitational force acting on the clothes overcomes the centrifugalforce acting on the clothes whereby the clothes in the chamber may fallaway from the side wall 52 onto the lower end wall 51 of the chamber andare tumbled in the chamber as shown in FIG. 5. During the time the speedof the chamber is below the relatively high speed and the clothes arebeing tumbled in the chamber, air is still being introduced into thechamber through the holes 56, and this facilitates the drying of theclothes as well as rearranging, tumbling and flufiing the clothes.

Almost immediately after the timing mechanism 72 has caused a reductionin the speed of the chamber 28, the timing mechanism causes the windingsof the motor 38 to be switched back to their original position so thatthe motor again drives the chamber 28 at the relatively high speed.

A typical cycle operation for forming and maintaining the annular layerof clothes in the chamber 28, abruptly braking or reducing therotational speed of the chamber to the intermediate speed and returningthe speed of th chamber back to the relatively high speed, may take from10 to 30 seconds. Approximately one-half of this cycle may be utilizedfor forming and maintaining the clothes in the annular layer,approximately one-quarter of the cycle may be utilized for reducing thespeed of the chamber from the relatively high speed to the intermediatespeed and the other one-quarter of the cycle may be utilized fortumbling the clothes during the time the speed of the chamber is belowthe relatively high speed and for returning the rotational speed of thechamber from the intermediate speed to the relatively high speed. Ofcourse, the periods of high speed operation and intermediate speedoperation may be varied. In fact, during the initial part of the dryingoperation, the speed of the chamber 28 should be reduced more frequentlythan during the latter part of the operation because during the initialpart, the clothes contain more moisture and thus need more frequentrearrangement to assure complete drying.

Thus, it should be apparent from the foregoing that the inventiondescribed herein provides a unique and novel machine and method fordrying clothes, fabrics and the like which will permit the dryingoperation to be completed in a relatively short time, as compared toconventional machines. In addition, machines embodying the inventionsdescribed herein may be used both in the home and in commerciallaundries.

Also, it should be obvious to those skilled in the art that the specificmachine described herein could be modified witout departing from theprinciples of the invention. For example, the chamber could bepositioned so that its central axis is disposed horizontally rather thanvertically, or at an angle therebetween, although, as noted herein, thevertical disposition of the chamber provides certain advantages. Also,other means could be used to direct air or gas under pressure into therotating chamber. Moreover, in connection with the drying of somefabrics or clothes, it may not be necessary to rearrange the fabrics orclothes by periodically, abruptly reducing the rotational speed of thechamber, particularly during the latter part of the drying operation. Insome instances, the side wall of the chamber may include ribs whichassist or accomplish the tumbling and rearranging of the clothes or thistumbling and rearranging may be assisted or accomplished by abruptlyvarying the flow and/or pressure of the air or gas introduced into therotating chamber. In addition, and as noted above; the size, number andangle of the plenum chambers and fan blades used in the machine 11 maybe varied, and, of course, the cycle of operation may be changed. Inthis connection, fan blade and plenum chamber assemblies may only bemounted on the lower end wall in some machines. Likewise, it should benoted that the term clothes, as used herein, should not be limited toits conventional definition, but should be read to include all fabricsor materials which could be dried in machines embodying the inventionsdescribed herein.

Therefore, the preferred embodiments of the invention described hereinare to be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appendedclaims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes whichcome within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are thusintended to be embraced therein.

I claim as my invention? '1. An improved machine for drying clothes andthe like including a rotatable'chamber adapted to receive clothes to bedried;

means for rotating the chamber about its central axis at a relativelyhigh speed whereby the clothes in the chamber form and maintain agenerally annular layer about said central axis;

means for continuously introducing air under pressure into said annularlayer of clothes so as to fluidize the clothes in said annular layerincluding a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes formed in atleast one end wall of the rotating chamber, said holes permittingcommunication between the exterior of the rotating chamber and saidannular layer in the rotating chamber (and means positioned 'without therotating chamber for causing air under pressure to flow through saidholes into said rotating chamber), and a plurality of fan blades mountedin proximity to said holes in at least said one-end wall on the exteriorof said rotating chamber whereby the fan blades cause air surroundingthe rotating chamber to be forced into the rotating chamber through saidholes; and

means for rearranging the clothes in the chamber.

2. The improved machine described in claim 1 wherein the rotatingchamber is generally cylindrical and is constructed so that said centralaxis and the central longitudinal axis of said rotating chamber arecoaxial; wherein the rotating chamber includes end walls and a sideWall; wherein said holes are formed in at least one of the end walls ofthe rotating chamber adjacent to, but spaced radially inwardly from, theside wall of the rotating chamber; wherein the fan blades are mounted onsaid one end wall at points equispaced from each other and at pointsradiallyinwardly from the side wall, with the longitudinal axis of eachof the fan blades being disposed at an acute angle with respect to aradius of the rotating chamber and with the fan blades being spacedradially closer to said central axis of the rotating chamber than saidholes; wherein a plurality of plenum chambers are formed on the exteriorface of said end walls of the rotating chambers and are arranged so thata plenum chamber extends from each of the fan blades to at least one ofsaid holes whereby the plenum chamber serves to direct air from the fanblades radially outwardly to and through said holes.v

3. The improved machine described in claim 2 wherein the fan blades arepositioned ahead, relative tothe direction of rotation of the rotatingchamber, of the respective said holes with which the fan blades areconnected by a plenum chamber so that the plenum chamber assists in themovement of air radially through the plenum chamber and through saidholes.

4. The improved machine described in claim 3 wherein a closedcompartment is positioned so as to surround the rotating chamber; andwherein air is introduced into the interior of the compartment duringthe operation of the machine.

5. The improved machine described in claim 4 wherein an aperture isformed in an end wall of the rotating chamber and is spaced from saidholes, said aperture permitting air to flow from said annular layer intothe interior of the compartment so that at least a portion of the airmay be recirculated and reintroduced into said annular layer by themeans for introducing air into said annular layer; and wherein means arepositioned adjacent to said aperture to filter the air flowing throughsaid aperture.

6. The improved machine described in claim 5 wherein gas air heatingmeans is positioned within the interior of the compartment and is usedto heat the air introduced into the compartment; and wherein the machineincludes means to control selectively the operation of the air heatingmeans.

7. The improved machine described in claim 3 wherein said central axisis generally vertically disposed so that end walls of the rotatingchamber constitute the upper and lower walls of the rotating chamber;and wherein the means for rearranging the clothes includes means forperiodically, abruptly changing the rotational speed of the rotatingchamber.

8. The improved machine described in claim 3 wherein said central axisis generally vertically disposed so that the end walls of the rotatingchamber constitute the upper and lower walls of the rotating chamber;wherein a central aperture is formed in the upper end wall of therotating chamber and is spaced from said holes, said aperture having aradius approximately equal to one-half of the radius of the upper endwall and designed to facilitate loading and unloading of clothes to andfrom the chamber.

9. The improved machine described in claim 7 wherein the means forperiodically, abruptly changing the speed of the rotating chamberperiodically, abruptly reduces the rotational speed of the rotatingchamber from said high speed to an intermediate speed which is belowthat necessary to maintain said annular layer of clothes whereby a largeportion of the clothes in said annular layer fall away from the sidewall onto the lower end wall under the influence of gravity.

10. The improved machine described in claim 9 wherein the means forchanging the rotational speed of the rotating chamber quickly returnsthe rotating chamber from said intermediate speed to said high speedafter a reduction of rotational speed whereby said annular layer ofclothes is again formed in the rotating chamber.

Ill. The improved machine described in claim 10 wherein a closedcompartment is positioned so as to surround the rotating chamber; andwherein air is introduced into the interior of the compartment duringthe operation of the machine.

12. The improved machine described in claim 11 wherein an aperture isformed in an end wall of the rotating chamber and is spaced from saidholes, said aperture permitting air to flow from said annular layer intothe interior of the compartment so that at least a portion of the airmay be recirculated and reintroduced into said annular layer by themeans for introducing air into said annular layer; and wherein means arepositioned adjacent to said aperture to filter the air flowing throughsaid aperture.

'13. The improved machine described in claim 12 wherein air heatingmeans is positioned Within the interior of the compartment and is usedto heat the air introduced into the compartment; and wherein the machineincludes means to control selectively the operation of the air heatingmeans.

14. An improved method of drying clothes and the like, including thesteps of rotating the clothes to be dried at a high speed in a rotatablechamber so that the clothes form and maintain an annular layer about thecentral axis of the rotatable chamber; continuously introducing airunder pressure into said annular layer so as to fluidize the clothes inthe annular layer; and periodically, abruptly rearranging the clothes inthe annular layer.

15. The improved method described in claim 14 which includes the step ofrearranging the clothes by periodically, abruptly reducing the speed atwhich the clothes are rotated from said high speed to an intermediatespeed below that necessary to maintain said annular layer of saidclothes in the rotating chamber.

16. The improved method described in claim 15 which includes the step ofquickly increasing the rotational speed of the clothes from saidintermediate speed to high speed after each periodic speed reduction sothat the clothes are again formed in an annular layer.

17. The improved method described in claim 15 which includes the stepsof exhausting air from the annular layer and recirculating andreintroducing at least a portion of the air under pressure back intosaid annular layer.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,186,104 1/1965 Stilwell, Jr3458X 3,194,398 7/1965 Fecho 34--58X 3,277,583 10/1966 Mack 34-58 JOHNJ. CAMBY, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE CERTIFICATE OFCORRECTION Patent No. 3,583,076 Dat d June 8, 1971 Inventor(s) D. E.Marshall It is certified that error appears in the above-identifiedpatent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In column 8, line 35, delete "(and means positioned without the rotatingchamber for causing air under pressure to flow through said holes intosaid rotating chamber)".

Signed and sealed this nth day of January 1972.

(SEAL) Attost:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JH. ERT GOTTSCHALK t ti Officer Acting Commissioner ofPatents FORM DO-i050 (10459) uscoMM-oc 50376-P69 U 5. GQVEHNMENYPRINTING OFFICE I959 U-]66-J34

